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George Washington Bridge Plaza

From Alfawiki
George Washington Bridge Plaza
Company typeTransportation hub and commercial district
IndustryTransportation, retail, real estate
Headquarters
Fort Lee
,
United States
Area served
Bergen County, New Jersey; Manhattan, New York City

The George Washington Bridge Plaza, often referred to as GWB Plaza or simply Bridge Plaza, represents the junction of several roadways and highways surrounding the toll area of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States. Situated just north and parallel to Fort Lee's Main Street, this district comprises a blend of residential and commercial developments, including parking facilities, strip malls, fuel stations, mid-rise office complexes, and towering condominium buildings. Adjacent landmarks include Fort Lee Historic Park, Palisades Interstate Park, and the western tower of the bridge.

Roadways

Overlooking the vehicular passage through the Hudson Palisades, the plaza serves as a nexus where key routes meet at the toll plazas for crossing the Hudson River. Four bridges span this cut: Fletcher Avenue (U.S. Route 9W), Linwood Avenue, Center Avenue, and Lemoine Avenue (New Jersey Route 67). Cutting through this corridor is Interstate 95, which also carries the designations of U.S. Route 1/9 and U.S. Route 46. The official endpoint of the New Jersey Turnpike is located at the Fletcher Avenue overpass.

Flanking I-95 and the cut are service roads. On the southern side, Bruce Reynolds Boulevard (also known as Bridge Plaza South) manages eastbound traffic from Fletcher Avenue and I-95’s exit 73 off-ramp toward Center Avenue, continuing as a two-way road to Hudson Terrace. It further provides connections to northbound upper and lower I-95 via exit 74. On the northern side, Bridge Plaza North accommodates two-way traffic between Central Road and Center Avenue, as well as westbound flow toward Fletcher Avenue with an on-ramp to New Jersey Route 4.

Northbound I-95 reaches Bruce Reynolds Boulevard through exit 73 via Route 4 or lower-level roads; conversely, southbound I-95 accesses Bridge Plaza North at exit 73 on both upper and lower levels.

The expressway routes along with local ingress and egress points at Bridge Plaza fall under the jurisdiction of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also oversees operation of the bridge itself.

Nearby routes feeding into this area include New Jersey Route 4, Bergen Boulevard (U.S. Route 46), and the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Further westward connections to Bridge Plaza via I-95 encompass Interstate 80 in Teaneck, along with various state and county roads accessible through U.S. 46 in Ridgefield.

Transit hub

Serving as a significant transit node, Bridge Plaza is utilized by numerous bus lines despite lacking a centralized terminal. Routes operated by NJ Transit predominantly link Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic counties to Manhattan. Meanwhile, Rockland Coaches provides service connecting Bergen and Rockland counties with Manhattan, frequently ending trips at either the George Washington Bridge Bus Station or the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Spanish Transportation alongside other providers offer dollar van services at Bridge Plaza, primarily catering to passengers traveling from Paterson via New Jersey Route 4, as well as those heading to the Newport Mall using routes along Bergenline and Anderson Avenues.

Additionally, Columbia Transportation runs the Fort Lee Shuttle transporting students and staff from Parker Plaza (Lewis Street) to the Columbia University Medical Center in Manhattan. The Lamont Shuttle connecting to/from the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory also includes stops at Parker Plaza on select journeys.

NJ Transit

  • : Service runs from Englewood Cliffs to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, traveling along Sylvan and Bergenline Avenues or River Road.
  • : Connects Fort Lee with the Port Authority Bus Terminal via River Road and Port Imperial Boulevard.
  • : Provides transit from Fort Lee to the Port Authority Bus Terminal using Bergenline Avenue.
  • : Operates between Paterson Broadway Bus Terminal and GWB Bus Station, following Route 4.
  • : Links Ridgewood to GWB Bus Station through Route 4.
  • : Runs from Hackensack Bus Terminal to GWB Bus Station.
  • : Travels from Bergenline Avenue Station to GWB Bus Station via Palisade and Bergenline Avenues.
  • : Connects Hackensack Bus Terminal with GWB Bus Station.
  • : Routes between Dumont and GWB Bus Station via Lemoine and Sylvan Avenues.
  • : Service from West New York to GWB Bus Station along Kennedy Boulevard.
  • : Runs between Bergen Community College and Englewood Cliffs utilizing Lemoine & Sylvan Avenues and Route 4.

Rockland Coaches

Bridgegate

The political controversy known as the Fort Lee lane closure scandal, or Bridgegate, involved personnel linked to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. They deliberately initiated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge to induce severe traffic delays, disrupting regional transit and resulting in notable political fallout and financial consequences.

See also

External links